


Oh, Bloody Hell

by Hippomatrix



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, CRYING. LOTS OF CRYING., Inspired by The Walking Dead, M/M, Shiro and Keith are brothers, Shit is too fucked up for them to be mentally stable, Trans Girl Pidge, gore tw, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-03 11:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10966710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hippomatrix/pseuds/Hippomatrix
Summary: Shiro and Pidge's family were among the troops sent to learn more about the virus that began spreading and causing mass mayhem a few months ago. They still haven't returned. When Pidge finally finds Shiro in the Academy's overrun secret lab and assists Keith in helping him escape it turns out there's a lot more going on than she or friends had ever guessed. Lance and Hunk get dragged along as she runs in search of answers and Allura and Coran soon join their group as they try to navigate a crumbling world.(Currently being reworked)





	1. So It Begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the first time I've ever written a fic in present tense, so we'll see how it turns out, but I'm really liking it so far. This fanfic has been brought to u by my current obsession with Klance and TWD. Go read TWD comic books they are fuCkiGN AMAZiNFG!!! And watch the show, too, I guess. But read the comics!!!
> 
> Also if ur looking for some humorous (and very gay) zombie apocalypse stories please go read ShootAround by Suspu! It's my favorite comic and it is just so! fucking! amazing! http://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/shoot-around/list?title_no=399

Lance glances over at Hunk and Pidge, just barely able to make out their silhouettes in the nighttime darkness. His friends are huddled conspiratorially over Pidge's laptop going on about some technological process Lance doesn't even want to attempt to comprehend. From what he's gathered they're out here spying on some secret lab on the academy's perimeter.

 _We shouldn't be out here_ , he thinks. _I shouldn't be out here_.

The academy has been on a strict lockdown for several months; no one is supposed to enter or leave without authorization. They're breaking curfew right now by being up here on the roof unsupervised at such a late hour. Supposedly it's not safe outside, but no one will answer why. Lance has heard rumors that there's some horrible disease going around and the lockdown is really a quarantine to keep the students from being exposed to it. He's not sure if he believes that, but he has seen the blurry videos Pidge hacked from the school's security feed, and there's definitely something wrong with the people walking around. They shuffle in slow steps and attack people who go near them. His theory is that it's a new super drug and the school doesn't want it on campus.

Lance is startled out of his rambling thoughts with a sharp yelp as a barrage of gunfire sounds in the distance. "Fuck!" Pidge swears loudly, clicking frantically through the programs open on her computer as she tries to find the source. "Fuck, fuck, fu-"

"Language!" Hunk interrupts, more out of habit than anything else. He and Lance crowd around Pidge as their friend pulls up the video feed of the secret lab's courtyard and they gasp in horror. Hunk shrinks back from the violent image, covering his mouth and trying not to heave at the gore. It's low quality but that does nothing to dampen the images of the massacre in front of them. Pidge watches with silent dread as soldiers shoot at a mass of unarmed civilians, blood splattering across the ground as the people lumber forward as though unharmed. One of them suffers a direct headshot, brains splattering over the person behind them, and falls to the ground. Their neighbor simply keeps walking, stepping on the body as they make their way forward.

Lance makes a strangled noise and Hunk reaches out to grip his hand. "What-" Pidge starts to ask, addressing no one in particular. Her normally confident voice wavers. "What-? _Why_? _Why_ is this happening?" She wants to shove the laptop away from herself but she's frozen in place. There's nothing she can do but watch as the civilians in the video surge towards the soldiers. She doesn't understand why they don't just run away. Why are they marching to their deaths like this?

Then the first of the civilians makes it to the soldiers and lunges forward, attacking the nearest soldier. There's a spurt of blood as the civilian bites down on the soldier's neck, and then another spray of blood as the civilian's brains are shot out. Then the fallen soldier is also shot in the head. Pidge cringes. The video doesn't have audio, but she can hear the gunshots from here and can all too easily imagine the noise of splattering brains and falling bodies.

The bloodshed shown before them continues, more and more civilians breaking into the line of soldiers and taking them down. They just keep streaming in, and it's starting to look like this group of people will overwhelm the soldiers. She just can't for the life of her figure out why they're doing this.

Hunk makes an odd noise and Pidge manages to tear her eyes away from the screen as Hunk clutches his hands tightly over his mouth. It's a futile attempt. Hunk turns sharply to the side and vomits onto the roof several times, his bile making a sickening splatter across its surface. Lance leans over and pats his friend's back as Hunk finishes retching and dry heaves.

"Why?" Hunk asks softly, voice wracked with coughs. "Why were they killing each other?" He sits back on his knees and looks at Lance, tears starting to pool in his eyes. "Why did they all have to die?"

Lance bites his lip, brow crinkling as he tries to find an answer. His uncharacteristic somberness is disconcerting. "I don't know," Lance says after a moment, looking back at Pidge. He's getting close to tears as well. Pidge, oddly enough seems to have shut down. She watches the screen with an unblinking stare, face seemingly void of emotion.

Pidge can't deal with this. Not now. Not when she's _so close_. She clenches her jaw slightly and makes the gory scene smaller on her screen. By now almost all of the soldiers lie dead and the civilians show no sign of stopping. Pidge grits her teeth and begins frantically combing through the security feeds again. She has to find them. She _has_  to. Her eyes flick over the various feeds before a familiar figure draws her attention. She enlarges the feed.

"Is that... Shiro?" Lance asks, leaning forward. Pidge doesn't acknowledge him; her mind too busy processing this information and running over the possibilities. Shiro appears to be in a hospital room of some sort. Pidge zooms in further, trying to determine if her brother's friend is dead or merely unconscious. She hopes it's the latter so he can find out what happened to Matt and the rest of her father's unit. She hasn't heard from any of them since the lockdowns began.

She reaches up to adjust her glasses from where they've slid down her nose and frowns when her fingertips brush across the ends of her now shortened hair. She'd grown it so long only to have to chop it off and pretend to be a boy. Well, she's used to doing that, she reminds herself. And getting into the academy to find some answers was worth it. It _is_ worth it. Matt is worth it. Her dad is worth it. And God damn it, she is going to _find_ them.

"Let's go," Pidge says, snapping out of her thoughts and standing up abruptly. Lance and Hunk look up at her in surprise as she snaps her laptop shut and turns to go back into the building.

Hunk looks over at Lance, concern written over his face, and scrambles to stand up and follow Pidge. Lance glances back into the distance where the gunshots have gone eerily quiet then stands up and runs to catch up with his friends. "Where?" he asks Pidge.

She doesn't bother looking back at him, striding through the door and down the hallway towards the elevator. "To save Shiro," she says, pressing the button to go down as she stops in front of the closed doors. "And to get some answers." The elevator dings and the doors slide open. She steps in and looks back at her friends. "Are you coming or not? I'm going either way."

Hunk and Lance look uncertain but they trust her. They step forward into the elevator and Pidge smiles grimly as she presses the button to go down. This is it. She's finally gonna get some answers. For better or for worse, Shiro is going to tell her what happened to her family.

* * *

Keith brushes his hair out of his face for what feels like the hundredth time and glances behind his shoulder. No one's coming. Yet. He looks back down at the lock he's trying to pick and grits his teeth.

 _God damn it_ , he thinks. _Just fucking open!_

Losing his patience, he looks down the hall again and pulls out his gun. The noise will attract soldiers and Dead alike but it's the fastest way into the medical quarantine room he knows his brother is in. "I'm coming," Keith mutters as he pulls out his gun and aims at the door, clenching his teeth as he aims then relaxing his jaw as he shoots. The sound is deafening as it reverberates down the hall, and he knows he doesn't have much time. He rushes forward and tries the handle again, allowing himself to feel a small rush of triumph when it opens easily.

Keith steps into the room and scans for his brother, rushing to Shiro's side. "Shiro!" he breathes out with relief as his brother's eyes open and look up at him groggily without recognition. Keith notes offhandedly that Shiro's dark hair is now marred with a shock of white and there's a new scar running over the bridge of his nose, the tissue still pink and healing. But he's alive, and that's all that matters.

Keith hastily pulls his brother up out of bed. He doesn't want to jostle Shiro around but they need to rush if they want to get out of here. "I'm sorry, but we have to go, I-" Keith freezes, looking down at Shiro's right arm. Or lack thereof.

Shiro's arm is missing from the bicep down. The stump is heavily bandaged but there's the brown of dried blood painted over it and fresh red stains slowly blooming. Keith looks up at his brother's face, Shiro's eyes still glazed over with whatever medication they gave him. He wants to say something, to do something, but now is not the time.

Keith looks up resolutely and loops his arm around his brother's waist, standing on Shiro's left side so his brother can drape his arm over his shoulder and use him for support. "Come on," Keith says, urging Shiro forward. Shiro staggers but matches his steps as best he can. "We have to move now if we want to get out of here in one piece."

Shiro grunts in pain and Keith stops, checking over their shoulders again. _Shit_. Some Dead have started to come down the hall towards them. He ducks down and maneuvers his arm under Shiro's leg, picking his brother up military style so he lies across Keith's shoulder. Shiro helps as best he can but it's difficult with the medically induced fog filling his head.

"I've got you, Takashi," Keith says, staggering slightly under his brother's weight. He pauses a moment to balance himself then takes off full sprint towards his escape route. He's finally found Shiro. He isn't about to lose him now.

* * *

Pidge grimaces as she nears the not-so-secret-anymore base and sees the horde of civilians somehow still alive and crowding around the main gate. She hears Lance curse behind her as the gore becomes more visible. Hunk makes an upset noise that would mean he's about to throw up, but she knows his stomach is already emptied out from earlier. She's glad.

This is much worse than what they watched on the feeds. From here she can see the dead bodies strewn across the ground covered in slick blood. She's grateful that it's night; the darkness covers up the gruesome scene somewhat. But she can still see the civilians bending down and... eating people?! That's what they're actually doing?! She feels her own gut churn as Hunk dry heaves behind her, but she doesn't stop.

She speeds up, pulling out her laptop and hastily flipping it open. She needs to find Shiro and get him out of there fast before they're completely surrounded. Pidge is really starting to wish she'd brought a knife or a weapon of some kind, but it's too late for planning ahead now. She's flipping through the feeds unsuccessfully to find Shiro when a side door of the lab slams open and someone she doesn't recognize stumbles out with Shiro draped over his shoulders, startling her out of her frantic search and mounting panic.

"Shiro?" It's barely a whisper. Her eyes widen and she carelessly slams her laptop shut again, picking up her speed as she runs. Is this real? Has she really found him? "Shiro?!" she cries out, louder this time.

The boy carrying her brother's friend turns and looks at her questioningly, then, apparently recognizing her, nods his head for her to follow him and keeps running towards a waiting motorcycle. Pidge runs after him, glancing back as Hunk shrieks. The civilians are closing in on them. _Fuck_. She grabs Hunk's wrist and yanks him forward out of his stunned horror.

"I get it, buddy," she pants, "but we really have to go! Now!" Hunk gulps and nods.

Lance glances back again and swears, eyes going wide as his brain is forced to process that _This is happening_. They are really running away from the academy being chased by bloodthirsty cannibals. This is _not_ how Lance wanted his weekend to go.

Keith reaches his motorcycle and sets Shiro down, glancing back at the oncoming horde of Dead and the new arrivals who apparently know Shiro. He recognized Pidge when she called out Shiro's name but he didn't see who the other two people were. They reach him as he's helping Shiro up onto his bike and one of them gives him a hand. Hunk, he notices with muted relief. Okay, he can use this. Hunk is strong and doesn't piss him off. This could actually work in his favor.

He slides onto the front seat and starts the engine, guiding Shiro's remaining arm to grip around his waist. He glances back at the horde again. _Shit_. They're getting far too close for comfort. They need to go. _Now_.

Then his eyes snag on the boy next to Hunk. Lance.

Really?! Lance?! Of all people, why did it have to be him? "Why are you here?" Keith asks, sounding far more snappish than intended. Well, this certainly complicates things. A lot.

"Never mind," he says with a shake of his head, cutting off whatever snappy retort Lance was about to offer. He glances at Pidge and Hunk. "Get on if you're coming."

Pidge slides on behind Shiro, reaching her full arms length past him to hold onto Keith. _I'm Shiro's seatbelt_ , she thinks dryly before Hunk sits behind her, squashing her against Shiro who in turn is squashed against Keith. It's uncomfortable to say the least. This motorcycle is really only meant to hold two people, but Lance climbs on as well, clinging to Hunk's back because there's no seat left to sit on. Hopefully this will work. The key word being hopefully.

Keith grits his teeth in frustration, fighting the urge to hit the gas pedal immediately. They don't have time for this. They need to leave _now_. He knows the extra three passengers won't fit but he can't just leave them here. He glares at the Dead staggering towards them only a few feet away now and revs up the engine again, checking if everyone's holding on. He can't really tell. _Fuck it_ , he thinks, stepping on the gas and speeding away.

The extra weight slows them down slightly as they speed away and makes it more difficult to control his bike, but they're going fast enough to escape the Dead and get a good head start on them. Keith watches the road ahead of him as they gain some distance and starts plotting out the best route to the nearest hospital in his mind. It makes it easier that the only remaining traffic in the city is the road full of abandoned cars that he can easily maneuver through. This city's been exed for a while now, and with a horde of Dead that large the Academy will likely be compromised within weeks, maybe even days.

* * *

Keith looks over the much needed second motorcycle carefully before turning to Hunk and nodding. "She'll run."

Hunk breathes a sigh of relief and clambers onto the abandoned yellow bike he has just reclaimed as his. He feels bad about taking it but this is a life or death situation. Specifically Shiro's life or death. He thinks. He's not quite sure. Shiro's been in and out since they escaped but it's hard to tell how much he comprehends. His bandages are almost fully soaked through at this point and the pain meds must've started to wear off because he's been wincing every time the motorcycle jostled him around. He looks relieved to be sitting on the stable ground. Pidge hovers next to him but he has yet to notice her.

Lance runs his fingers admiringly over the red chrome of Keith's bike only to have his hand swatted away. He pouts but Keith chooses to ignore it, striding over to Shiro and helping him back up to his feet. He reaches down to pick up his discarded helmet and secures it over Shiro's head. "Let's go," he says curtly, resuming his position on the front of his bike and making sure Shiro is secure behind him. Pidge clambers on behind them and Hunk and Lance settle themselves on their newly acquired bike.

"Follow me," Keith says to Hunk, then takes off, glad to see that his bike is riding smoothly and is now capable of normal speeds again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a rough plan for this but I don't know how long it'll be. Shiro and Allura will probly show up in the next chapter or so.
> 
> Plus I found this art of TWD Klance and I lov it http://artoftangmo.tumblr.com/post/160136844813/zombie-apocalypse-au-where-lances-pickup-lines


	2. Rest Your Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get to the hospital and run into some unexpected people.

Keith swears and adjusts his left arm around his brother's waist as his sword cuts through another of the Dead, slicing its head clean off and splattering blood everywhere. He should've foreseen that the hospital would be full of them. It's a place that would've housed the ill and dying before the world went to shit, and it's only logical that those left behind would return to haunt its halls now that they're in a full-blown apocalypse.

"Duck!" Lance says, and Keith complies, crouching down with Shiro just as Lance aims and shoots out the nearest Walker's brains. He took the gun off a fresh corpse as they walked up the pathway and has proved to be an excellent shot.

That was a little too close for Keith's comfort, but with the Walker felled he can reach the door. Keith wiggles the handle to find it miraculously unlocked and pulls the door open, ushering his companions forward and slamming it closed behind him once everyone's safely inside.

He scans the hallway that must've been pristine at some point but is now covered in long dried bloodstains and some newer ones he doesn't want to think about. There are a few de-brained corpses scattered around but Keith doesn't see any more Dead or any other living people. Good. One less thing to worry about.

"Let's go," Keith says, making his way down the hallway as best he can with his half conscious brother's weight leaning against him. Shiro bites back a pained groan and Keith winces in sympathy.

"Almost there," he says. "We're almost there. Just a little longer, Takashi."

Lance looks at Pidge questioningly as they follow behind Keith at a brisk pace. "So they're... brothers?" he whispers. Shiro and Keith don't really look alike, but he supposes it makes sense.

Pidge nods. "Half brothers," she clarifies.

Keith comes to a halt before a door labeled _ER_ and pushes it open. "Almost ther-"

A battle cry sounds out as a woman comes barreling towards them from inside. "Not today, you dead corpses!" She tackles Shiro to the ground, and he falls with a thud, gasping out in pain. The woman attacking him has her crowbar held up in the air and ready to swing down but she stops when she notices the terrified expression on her opponent's face.

"Oh my God," she breathes. "You're _alive_."

Keith grabs hold of her crowbar and she looks up at him, realizing she's still sitting on top of this man who is apparently not one of the Dead. "Terribly sorry," she says, her demeanor switching from dangerous to bubbly. She reaches down to help the man up and recoils when she sees his arm. "Dear lord, what happened to you? You need to be seen to at once!" She pulls him to his feet and swiftly picks him up bridal style with surprising strength, shrugging off Keith's help.

"I've got him," she says. "Now follow me."

The strange woman carries Shiro into the room labeled _ER_ and walks down to an area that looks decidedly lived in, setting Shiro down on what is probably her bed and pulling the blankets up around him. "He's burning up," she remarks, touching the back of her hand to his sweat soaked temple. "Probably has a fever." She turns to Keith, who's hovering behind her worriedly.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Keith admits, regarding her suspiciously. It would be unwise to give his trust over to her so easily, but she seems to be genuinely concerned, and if she has any medical knowledge, they sure as hell could use it right about now.

"Can you help him or not?" he asks impatiently.

She nods and begins rummaging through a nearby cabinet. "Coran!" she calls out over her shoulder. "I need some help in here!" She pulls out a roll of gauze, saline solution, antibiotics, and some adhesive tape.

"Coran," she says to the man that has just entered the room. "Find me some painkillers."

The woman glances back at Pidge, Lance, and Hunk as Coran hurries off unquestioningly to do as she's requested. "You three, go get some water. The sinks in this building are still operational." Pidge nods and hurries off with Hunk and Lance, glad to have something useful to do.

"What can I do?" Keith asks desperately.

"There isn't much you _can_ do," Allura replies as she begins to unravel Shiro's bandages. "Just stay with him. He's probably in a lot of pain right now."

Shiro groans in pain and spasms sharply as the unraveling bandages pull at dried blood on his skin. "What's your name?" Allura asks softly as she pulls the bloodied bandages away carefully, trying to distract him. He turns his head and looks at her unresponsively and she sees that he has a scar across the bridge of his nose that's healed enough that it doesn't need any immediate attention.

"My name's Allura," she says with a gentle smile. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry for attacking you earlier. I'm a little on edge, what with the hordes of Dead all around. We'll get you good as new in no time."

Shiro gazes up into the woman's face, caught up in a fever haze. She looks like she's glowing and the light above her head glints off her white hair like a halo. _A spirit_ , he thinks absentmindedly as he looks into her blue eyes.  _A benevolent spirit come to save me_ , he thinks. He's not a religious man, but in his state of delirium he doesn't think she could be anything less than a divine being coming to him in his time of need to help him heal.

Allura talks to Shiro soothingly as she finishes unwrapping his old bandages and begins to clean his wound but her words blur together in his mind. He exists in a feverish haze of pain, focusing on her face in an attempt to cling to reality. He swallows the pills she gives him without question and lays as still as he can as she puts antibiotics over his stump. He feels Keith's presence beside him and grips his brother's hand tightly, using it to ground him.

Allura glances at Shiro's face and smiles as she's finishing up. "You're going to be just fine," she says, more for her than for him. He's been watching her but she doesn't think he's lucid enough to process what's going on. She's surprised that he hasn't passed out yet from the pain. When the painkillers start to kick in he'll probably fall asleep right away. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Pidge asks, breaking the silence of the room. She, Hunk, and Lance have been hovering on the sidelines as Allura redressed Shiro's arm with Coran's help and Keith sat attentively by his side. No one wanted to say anything for fear of distracting these two new adults they've trusted Shiro's health to. The only voice has been Allura's as she gave Coran orders and talked to Shiro.

"I think so," Allura replies, glancing back at Keith. She allows herself a small smile. "He's strong. I think he can pull through."

* * *

Lance swings his legs back and forth, hitting the countertop with a satisfying _thunk_. The others have all gone to clear the remaining Dead that had been attracted by their group as they came in, leaving Lance and Keith to watch Shiro. Lance watches as Keith's head starts to drop down then jerks up sharply.

"When was the last time you slept?" He asks.

"Why do you care?" Keith snaps back, his eyes still trained on his sleeping brother. It's been hours and Shiro still hasn't woken up since the painkillers kicked in and he passed out. As tired as Keith is, he won't let himself leave his brother's side. Not again.

Lance hops down from the counter and plops himself down next to Keith. "Chill, dude. I'm just worried, is all."

Keith sighs and rubs at his eyes tiredly to wake himself up. The shadows beneath his eyes are so dark they look bruised when he turns his head to look at Lance. "Im fine," he says.

Lance's eyes soften with concern and he reaches out a hand to steady Keith as his body sways. Keith shrugs off the offered hand, refusing Lance's help. "And I can't sleep now. I have to be here for Shiro," he says with conviction.

"Okay, yeah, but think about it," Lance says, slinging an arm around Keith's shoulders to help hold him up. Keith tries to shrug him away again but Lance doesn't let him. "Would he want you passing out from sleep deprivation or would he want you to rest?" Keith clenches his jaw but Lance continues. "Plus if you're this fucking tired you really won't be of much use if something happens. So just go to sleep and I'll wake you up if anything happens."

Keith glares at Lance even as he slumps against him in defeat, leaning his weight against him. "If anything happens-"

"I'll wake you up," Lance finishes. "Yeah, I got it. Now go to sleep."

Keith nods and lets his eyes slide closed, giving in to his body's need for rest. He can feel warm arms wrapped around him and he's practically cradled in Lance's lap at this point, but at the moment he's too tired to care. When he wakes up there will be plenty of time for embarrassment, but for now he let's himself bask in the reality of what he's fantasized about so many times and allows himself to fall asleep in Lance's arms.

Lance feels Keith's breathing slow as his body goes slack. He's out cold. Lance brushes the overgrown bangs off of Keith's forehead and looks down at his sleeping friend sprawled out in his arms. _He looks different when he's asleep_ , Lance thinks offhandedly. _Younger_. With the constant tension and wariness Keith carries in his body at all times it's easy to forget he's only 17 like Lance and Hunk.

They're both so young. Looking back, their little rivalry seems so pointless now. Lance has wasted so much time being jealous of Keith, and for what? It hasn't made him feel any better about himself. Keith has always just been better than him at everything - he's even _prettier_ than Lance is, and that pisses Lance off. _You and your stupid pretty face_ , Lance thinks with annoyance, brushing the pad of his thumb across Keith's lower lip. _It should be illegal for you to be so fucking attractive._

Keith's lips part slightly at the pressure and Lance looks at them, thinking back to the frown Keith had worn upon seeing him at the base. He hadn't been happy to see Lance. He'd looked upset, actually, and Lance can't figure out why.

Keith had never really acknowledged their rivalry. He'd barely even spoken to Lance at the Academy and had always been more withdrawn and reserved than their other classmates. But he'd never seemed to outright dislike Lance. They'd argued, sure, but never about anything important.

Lance shakes his head and sighs. He knows he's probably way overthinking this. Maybe Keith wasn't even upset because of Lance. They had been surrounded by a horde of Dead, after all. That's probably what it is. He's worrying himself over nothing. There must be some level of trust present for Keith to literally fall asleep in Lance's arms.

Lance gently sets Keith's sleeping form down on the ground next to Shiro, reluctant to relinquish the warmth Keith's body heat pressed against him. Keith curls into himself and murmurs something inaudibly in his sleep. _Well, at least he's sleeping now_ , Lance thinks. _Maybe he'll be in a better mood once he wakes up_.

Lance stands up and moves back to his perch on the counter to sit and wait for the others to return. He watches the two brothers' chests rise and fall in unison as their breathing patterns sync up and tells himself he's watching Keith to make sure nothing happens. Definitely no other reason or motivation behind this. Nope.

* * *

_Shiro looks around him for an escape but there is no way out. They're surrounded on all sides and even as a trained soldier Shiro can't possibly hope to overpower the horde of undead swarming around them. They vastly outnumber him. He wraps his arm around his wounded friend and hauls him to his feet, scanning the crowd for other soldiers. Only blank stares and bloody faces look back at him._

_"Come on, Sven," he mutters as he half drags Sven up a nearby fire escape. "you can pull through this."_

_It's a lie and they both know it. Sven is rapidly bleeding out from the bullet wounds he received in the crossfire and Shiro doubts he'll last much longer at this rate. The horde is crushing in, pressing against the building, and Shiro knows this is only a temporary solution at best._

_He hasn't seen another soldier since he and Sven got separated from their platoon, but the lack of gunshots in the distance is disconcerting. His friends must have been overpowered. He feels a pang of loss at the thought but pushes it back. He can't let himself be overcome right now. He'll have time to mourn later. For now he needs to do whatever he can to help his wounded friend._

_Sven shudders in Shiro's arms and Shiro lays him down, propping him up against the stair's railing. "I'm sorry," Shiro says, pressing his hands against Sven's wounds. Blood coats Shiro's arms, slick and wet. There's too much. He knows he can't do anything that will make a difference. Sven has already lost too much blood._

_"I'm so sorry," Shiro says again. Sven doesn't respond. His body shudders as he coughs up a string of blood, doubling over and bracing himself against Shiro's arm. Violent coughs wrack his body for several long minutes then cease suddenly as he goes limp. Shiro grips his friend's corpse in his arms, unwilling to let go and admit that Sven is dead and he couldn't do anything to save him._

_After a few seconds Sven's limp body shudders again and Shiro's eyes go wide with surprise. "Sven?!" he looks down at his friend but Sven's head hangs limply, blood still trickling out of his mouth._

_"Are you-" Shiro is cut off with a pained yelp as Sven's teeth suddenly sink into his right bicep._

_He tries to pull away but Sven's hands clutch at his arm like a vice. Sven jerks his head, tearing a sizable swath of flesh from Shiro's arm with a horrible squelching noise as blood spurts everywhere. Shiro screams in pain and fumbles for his gun with his left hand as the corpse that was once his friend rabidly chews what once once a piece of his arm and digs its fingers into the gushing wound on Shiro's arm, tearing it further. The pain is blinding but Shiro refuses to give in._

_"I'm sorry," he says again through gritted teeth, pulling his gun up and aiming with his left hand. Sven's corpse lunges towards his neck and Shiro winces as he fires off several rounds into its chest, forcing it to stagger backward._

_He looks up at the thing that used to be his friend and aims, his hand shaking and dripping with blood. "Sven," he chokes out. "If you're still in there, please give me some sign." The corpse sways slightly and moves to lunge at Shiro again before it falls back against the railing and topples over with a loud bang. He hears Sven's body hit the ground below with a sickening thud._

_Shiro stares ahead at the blood splattered over the fire escape in shock. "What have I done?" he drops his gun and buries his face in his hands, blood smearing across his cheeks. He doesn't bother to cover his still gushing wound. "What have I done?"_

_Everything happens in a blur after that. Someone lands a helicopter on the roof above Shiro and rushes to him and carries him away but it's too late, too late, too late. He couldn't save Sven. He claws and screams at his rescuers in a mad rage and they sedate him._

_The world goes black and he's floating in a void of nothingness._

_He wakes up with a jolt and looks over to see his mutilated arm lying on a table, tendons and bone exposed, a wickedly sharp saw lying beside it in a puddle of blood. He screams and screams and-_

* * *

"Shiro!" Keith cries out, shaking him awake. His piercing screams stop abruptly and his eyes snap open, pupils blown wide. He looks around in a feverish panic, clawing with his left hand at the blankets covering him.

"Where is it?!" He tries to pull the blankets away from his right shoulder but his brother grabs his remaining arm firmly and pins it to his side.

"Shiro," he says, "calm down."

He starts hyperventilating. "Where is it?!" he asks in desperation. "Where's my arm?!"

Keith puts his hands on his cheeks and pulls his head so that he's looking at him.

"Your arm is gone," he says softly. "I'm sorry."

Shiro falls silent and his eyes unfocus. Keith moves to get up and alert the others that Shiro is awake and becomes startled when Shiro's hand grasps his wrist weakly.

"Don't leave me," he says, terror evident on his features.

"I won't," Keith replies, sitting back down and gripping his brother's hand in both of his.

Shiro watches his brother with rapt attention. He can't be certain if he's even really there or just a vivid hallucination, but he doesn't want him to leave. He doesn't want to be alone. Keith seems to understand this and lays down next to him, gathering Shiro up into his arms.

Shiro wraps his left arm around his back and holds his brother tightly, afraid if he lets go he'll disappear and he'll be left alone again. Keith's presence is warm and comforting and Shiro finds himself drifting back to sleep as Keith hums softly beside him, unafraid of the nightmares he'll encounter. He knows instinctually that as long as she's here he'll be safe. Their lives haven't always been easy, but they've always protected each other no matter what, and he knows he can trust Keith to keep him safe.

* * *

Keith kneels quietly beside the bed as Coran changes Shiro's bandages. His hair is tied up in a messy ponytail and his eyes are tired and ringed with shadows. The short nap he got last night after Lance convinced him to rest can't make up for nearly a week without any solid sleep, and if anything the sleep he just got with Shiro has made him feel even more fatigued.

"How's he doing?"

Coran carefully retracts his hands from Shiro so as not to wake him and sits down next to Keith, tucking the medical supplies back into their designated container.

"Fever's gone down, which is a good sign."

Keith nods as he examines his brother's sleeping face. "He'll survive," he clenches his fists in his lap. "He has to."

Coran looks over at him with understanding and puts a hand on his shoulder. "He's strong. Young and healthy. I'd say he's got better odds than most."

Keith nods, watching his brother's chest shift as he breathes. _He's alive_ , Keith thinks. _That's all that matters_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can u tell I love writing sleepy cuddles? Bc I do. I really do. If u like reading them you're in luck because there will be more in later chapters. I don't have a solid plan plot-wise but I know how I want the relationship to progress.  
> The next chapter will have more Pidge and Hunk, bc I feel bad for neglecting them.


	3. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crying. Lots of crying. Then some silly fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of friends who are trans guys but not anyone who is out as a trans girl, so if I'm fucking this up pls tell me. I think trans ppl need much more representation in media of all types, but as a biologically female demigirl who passes most of the time I don't have the same experiences as trans girls. I'm doing my best to make it as accurate as I can because I love Pidge's character so much and she deserves authenticity. Pls message me if I'm doing something wrong or you have suggestions.  
> Lance is an asshole who can't take anything seriously and I lov him. I had so much fun writing this Klance scene it's ridiculous.

Pidge sits on the counter, kicking her feet back and forth as she sits watch for Shiro. He's been in and out the last few days and they've all agreed to take turns watching him. Right now it's her turn and she's bored. This is a boring job. She hopes the others find some new clothes to wear. Her uniform from the academy is disgusting at this point and she would love to wear something nicer. Maybe a dress. She misses wearing dresses. They helped when the body dysphoria got particularly bad.

Pidge feels her bra strap through her baggy shirt and allows herself a small smile. She can remember when she first felt her breast tissue growing. She had stared at herself in the mirror, her thirteen year old body looking more feminine than it ever had. Several months on estrogen and that was the first time she really felt like it was making a difference. It was a freeing feeling, being unashamed of her body.

She looks back over at Shiro and her smile falls. She hadn't been very close to him, but he and Matt had been good friends, and he'd always used the correct pronouns when talking to her, even when she first came out, which sounds like a little thing but it has meant a lot to her.

Shiro has been in and out of consciousness a lot over the last few days since they got to the hospital and Pidge hasn't had the chance to talk to him yet. She's hoping he'll wake up soon and be lucid enough to tell her what happened to Matt and her father. She's scared of what the answer will be, but she needs to know.

As if sensing her restlessness, Shiro's eyes slide open and he looks up groggily. Pidge hops down from the counter and sits down hesitantly next to him. "Shiro," she says gently.

Shiro looks up at Pidge in stunned surprise, mistaking her for her brother. "Matt!?"

Pidge shrinks back slightly. She hears someone else enter the room upon hearing Shiro's astonished exclamation and ask her something but she doesn't really process it. Why would Shiro be so surprised to see Matt? _Did he die? Did he turn into one of those horrible creatures? Did he-_

Shiro sees the panic flashing over Pidge's face and realizes his mistake. "Katie," he starts again, reaching his remaining hand out to her. Pidge takes it and clutches it tightly, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Katie," Shiro says, squeezing her hand tightly. "I got separated from them but I don't... I don't think they made it."

Pidge nods as her tears start to fall silently down her cheeks. She should've known. Why did she try so hard to find them when she knew all along her search would only lead her to two corpses? They're gone. They're gone and they're not going to come back. Not as themselves.

"I'm sorry," Shiro whispers, his own face wet with tears. "I'm so sorry, Katie."

Pidge starts crying audibly and curls into herself as her body is wracked with sobs. She's crying so hard her chest hurts and she can't breathe, but she can't make it stop. Her hand is clutching Shiro's too tight but he just squeezes back. There's nothing he can say right now to make it better, but he can be here with her, and that's going to have to be enough.

Hunk stands awkwardly by the door and watches the scene unfold in confusion, feeling like he's intruding on a deeply private moment. He's not sure what's going on, but Pidge is obviously distressed, so he sits down beside her and lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. Pidge tenses and looks up to see Hunk's face filled with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks softly.

Pidge shakes her head No and turns towards him, burying her face in his chest. Hunk wraps his arm around her and pats her back soothingly as she sobs into his shirt.

"I don't know what's wrong," he says, "but I'm here for you."

Hunk sits there with Pidge for a long time until her sobs finally die down. Over the course of the next half hour or so everybody else hears the noise and comes back to the ER. They all stop when they see Pidge and look at Hunk for answers, but all he can do is shake his head. He doesn't know what's going on either. He thinks Shiro gave Pidge some bad news, but he's unclear on the details.

Pidge finally pulls away from Hunk and swipes her sleeve across her face, attempting to smear the mess of snot and tears away. She looks down to where one of her hands is still clutching Shiro's tightly and lets her grip loosen slightly. He squeezes her hand reassuringly and she looks over at his face. His eyes are rimmed with red as well and the tears he's cried are still on his face. She supposes he can't wipe them away with his only remaining hand held so tightly in her own.

Allura's voice cuts through the silence. "Are you two alright?"

Pidge says nothing. Shiro looks over to Allura and gives her a small nod. "Just give her some time."

Lance frowns. " _Her?_ Her who?"

"Katie," Shiro replies, then freezes, realizing his mistake. He's just accidentally outed her. He looks back to Pidge. "They don't know? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Pidge shakes her head dismissively. It doesn't matter at this point.

Hunk watches the exchange and suddenly understands. "Pidge," he asks hesitantly. "Are you... Katie?"

Pidge bites her lip and nods nervously, looking down at her and Shiro's joined hands. She's scared of how the others will react.

"Hold up," Lance interrupts. "Who's Katie?"

"Me," Pidge says quietly, sighing. "I'm Katie."

She finally looks up and levels her gaze on Lance, steeling herself for whatever reaction her friends will have. "I'm a girl."

Allura looks at her in confusion. Not disgust, thank God, just confusion. "Then why the disguise?"

"I had to find out where they sent Matt and my Dad, and the academy wouldn't let me in unless I presented as a boy."

"Ohhhh," Hunk says. "That explains a lot, actually. I thought maybe you were a trans guy when I saw one of your bras mixed in with the laundry."

She looks at him in surprise. "You knew?!"

"Well, I guess," Hunk replies. "I mean, we were roommates for like three months. I didn't bring it up because I figured if it was something you wanted to tell me, you would."

Lance looks at Pidge awkwardly, fiddling nervously with his hands. "So, uh, what do we call you?" Pidge looks over at Lance and blinks in surprise. It's a more thoughtful reaction than she would've expected from him. He's usually so brash, but it seems like he's making an effort to be sensitive.

"I mean," Lance continues. "Do you go by Pidge or Katie? Or some other completely different name?"

"I don't..." Pidge starts. "I don't know." She looks at Shiro and thinks of her brother and father. "My name will always be Katie, but I think Pidge is good for now. It's, um," she looks down at her hands. "It was my Dad's nickname for me when I was younger. He called me his little Pigeon."

Shiro places his hand on her arm and she looks up at his face. "He'd be so proud of you," Shiro says, smiling. "Matt, too."

* * *

Keith hovers from a distance, watching intently as Allura changes Shiro's bandages again now that everyone has left and he no longer seems upset. Right now she's rubbing antibiotics over the scarred tissue. Keith doesn't know much about amputation or aftercare for wounds in general, but Shiro's arm seems to be improving. The skin is still splotchy and discolored, but the angry red color it was when they first got here has subsided. The swelling and irritation have also gone down. Whatever Allura's been doing seems to be working.

Keith crouches down opposite her beside Shiro, taking mental notes in case he needs to do this anytime soon. "You're uh... really good at that," he says awkwardly.

Allura glances over at Keith then looks back down at Shiro's arm as she continues working on it. "Thanks," she replies without much emotion. "I always planned on going into pre-med, but, I don't know, it just didn't quite work out."

Shiro's voice is quiet and they both look down at him as he speaks. "Is that why you came to the hospital?"

"I _didn't_ come here," Allura replies, looking uncomfortable. "I was already here."

Keith furrows his brows and looks her up and down, not seeing any obvious injuries. "For what?"

Shiro looks scornfully at Keith. "You're being rude."

"I had..." Allura pauses, trying to find the right words. "a breakdown. They called it a, um... psychotic episode."

Keith frowns. "What happened?"

Shiro gives him a warning look but he doesn't notice. He needs to know if this women poses a threat to his brother. "What did you do? Did you hurt someone?"

"Keith," Shiro says, wanting his brother to drop it. This line of questioning is clearly making Allura upset.

"My father died," she says finally. "And then he came back, and I..." her hands begin to tremble but her voice remains deceptively calm. "I had to," she says softly, voice finally breaking. "I had to do it."

Shiro reaches out his left hand to touch hers. "It's not your fault. You didn't do this. You didn't make him come back. What you did was the right thing."

"They told me I was crazy," Allura says, voice toneless as she pushes her emotions far from view. Her expression is difficult to read. She's had a lot of practice hiding her feelings. "That I was seeing things. And I believed them." She blinks and a single tear escapes before being brushed away, her hands returning to their task of bandaging Shiro's arm.

Keith nods somberly, and she can see that he understands. No one believed him either. They thought he was fixating on a conspiracy in order to justify his brother's disappearance. And they were right, in a way. But so was he.

"I had to shoot my friend," Shiro admits. It feels like a confession. Maybe it is.

Keith looks over at him and he looks away, unable to meet his eyes. The memories are still so fresh in his mind.

"I was trying so hard to save him. I knew he was going to die. And he _did_." Keith's hand grasps his own and Shiro lets his eyes fall closed, suddenly overcome with all the grief he didn't have the chance to feel before.

"He died. But then he came back, and I had to shoot him."

* * *

They sit around the ER, each holding their own can taken from their pile of scavenged food. Lance is munching on some canned peaches, Hunk's eating a can of baked beans, Keith is nibbling on some saltine crackers he found, Pidge and Allura are eating SpaghettiOs, and Coran is eating canned chili. Shiro is asleep again, but Keith has placed a few cans by his bed for when he wakes up.

Lance looks at the pristine white wall wistfully. "Ugh, I miss taking showers." He picks at the dried blood on his shirt. "And wearing clothes that aren't disgusting."

Pidge snorts. "It's only been, like, two days."

"And the sinks here work so you can wash up anytime you like!" Coran adds cheerfully in his heavy New Zealand accent.

Lance crinkles his nose at Coran. He's still getting used to this forty something year old's cartoonish personality. "I meant a _real_ shower."

Pidge snorts. "Yeah, because there are plenty of those available in the apocalypse."

"This isn't the apocalypse," Hunk says. It's more to convince himself than anyone else.

Keith lets out a muffled snort and they all turn to look at him. "I'm sorry," he chokes out, "just- how can you be so in denial? People are dying and coming back as _monsters_!" He laughs more but it's starting to sound strained. "Not that the world was such a great place to begin with, but I'd say this is considerably shittier."

Allura looks at Keith with concern. His laughter is getting dangerously close to turning to tears. "Keith," she says. "when was the last time you washed up? Why don't you go do that now?" She looks at Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. "You three as well."

Keith chokes back the tears threatening to come to the surface and gets up, grateful for the excuse to leave. He'll have to remember to thank Allura later. For now, he needs to find a more secluded bathroom so he can have some time alone and recharge.

"Where are you going?" Hunk calls out. "The sinks are this way."

Keith doesn't reply. He just keeps walking. He hears footsteps and turns to see Lance jogging to catch up with him, because of course it's Lance. Of course. _Ugh_ , he thinks, _I'm too tired for this right now_.

Lance hasn't brought up what happened yesterday and Keith wants to keep it that way. It's bad enough that he let himself give in to his stupid romantic fantasies earlier; he doesn't want anything else to happen. Well, he _does_ , but he doesn't want Lance to know that.

"Are you mad at me?" Lance asks bluntly.

Keith snaps out of his thoughts. "What? Why would you-" he looks at Lance in confusion. "No. Why would you think that?"

Lance shrugs as if it's not a big deal, but even Keith can clearly see it's something that's been bothering him. "When you saw me at the lab you looked... pissed off? I don't know how to describe it. You saw Pidge and Hunk and just kind of accepted it. Why did I upset you?"

"You didn't," Keith lies tersely.

Lance frowns but doesn't push the subject further. "If you say so."

They come to a supply closet and Keith pulls it open, rummaging around for towels. Lance grabs a bag and starts laughing. "Dude, look," he pulls a sponge out. "We can give each other sponge baths!"

Keith rolls his eyes. "Not happening. See any soap?"

Lance puts the sponge back in its bag and pushes a few things aside to reveal some soap. Keith pulls a bottle out and examines it. "It's probably a shitty generic brand, but it'll do the job." He turns and heads in what he hopes is the direction to the nearest bathroom.

Lance falls into step behind him. "I'm gonna be clean," he says happily with a goofy grin as they approach a bathroom.

Keith pulls the door open and steps inside, surveying the space. The area is clean and there are are three sinks. It's better than he'd hoped for. "Let's take turns," he says, turning around. "You can-" He freezes. Lance is shirtless and unzipping his pants. Keith's face flushes red. He _cannot_ handle Lance being naked.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

Lance doesn't even look up at Keith as he kicks his pants off carelessly. "Taking off my clothes so I can wash up, duh." He looks up when Keith doesn't offer a retort and notices that Keith is blushing furiously. Oh. _Oh_.

"Shit," Lance swears, covering himself over his underwear. _Thank God they're boxers_ , he thinks.

" _Shit_ , I'm sorry. I'm used to the showers at the Academy where we all just strip down, I didn't even think-" He covers his face with his hands. " _Oh my God_."

He peeks out and sees that Keith is staring resolutely at the floor.

"Wait a second," Lance says. "Are you... do you like _guys_?"

"I'm done with this conversation," Keith says, walking out. He's not doing this right now, not with Lance of all people.

"Wait!" Lance grabs his arm. "I'm not judging you, I like guys, too." Keith looks at him in surprise and he flushes. "I just... I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was making you uncomfortable."

Keith looks down at his feet, willing his blush to go away. "It's fine."

"Great!" Lance says, wanting to move past the uncomfortable silence. "Now take off your clothes."

Keith's head snaps up to look at him but Lance just keeps talking. "It's sponge bath time!" He pulls the bag out and produces a sponge.

Keith sputters in indignation. "What is wrong with you?! This isn't funny, you're just being a dick."

"Which you love," Lance replies nonchalantly, bopping Keith on the nose.

Keith's eyes narrow in silent warning. "Do you _want_ me to hurt you? Because that's what it sounds like."

Lance laughs. "Okay, okay, that's enough. I've had my fun. I'm done now. Promise. Now will you please take off your clothes?"

Keith glares at him.

"No, I'm serious," Lance says. "I want to be clean."

"And why do I have to be here for that?"

"Well, I can't reach my back by myself now, can I?"

Keith frowns, mulling over his options. He could leave right now, which would probably be the safest option, but then he'd have to come back later to wash himself.

"Fine," he says, pulling off his shirt and dropping it to the ground. He already knows he's going to regret this.

Lance looks surprised. He was expecting Keith to say no and storm out. "Really?"

"Underwear on at all times," Keith adds as he takes off his shoes.

Lance snorts. "I agree to your terms." He watches with interest as Keith takes off his pants. _Keith has a great ass_ , Lance decides.

Keith looks up as he ties his hair back. Lance isn't even trying to hide that he's watching and Keith flushes even darker with embarrassment. "Can you not?"

He walks over to the sink and starts the water. He knew Lance was a shameless flirt, but this is too much. Lance doesn't mean any of it and Keith doesn't want to let his traitorous heart get its hopes up over nothing. "Let's just get this over with."

"You got it," Lance says, tossing a sponge at Keith. It bounces off his chest and he has to bend down to pick it up off the floor, glaring at Lance as he does so.

Keith tries his best to ignore the very attractive and almost naked boy next to him as he gets the sponge wet and begins to work away the grime on his skin. Unlike Lance, he's been living without showers for several months instead of only a few days and he probably smells horrible. He's washed up as best he can, but this is his first chance to really get clean. He puts some soap on the sponge and scrubs at some long dried blood on his arm, watching with satisfaction as the dirty water swirls down the drain.

Lance takes his time. He doesn't need to scrub at his skin like Keith does because he's a more moderate level of filthy. Lance steals glances over at Keith when he's not looking. It's not a bad view. As he finishes up cleaning his body he frowns and touches his hair. Should he wash it with the soap they have or just rinse it out? He'll figure it out in a minute.

Noticing discoloration on the skin about Keith's waistband, Lance strides over to Keith and reaches out to touch the edge of a cut on his back. He's helped patch up his sisters' scrapes and cuts enough times to know that this really should be looked at before it can get any worse.

Keith hisses in pain at the sudden contact and slaps Lance's hand away. "Stop it. Don't touch me."

"We should clean this," Lance remarks, looking more closely. The fingers of his right hand trace the pale skin around it, gently this time, and Keith tenses but doesn't push him away again. The cut is shallow but covered in grime and leaking a thin trail of pus. "Dude, I think this is infected."

"It's fine," Keith says, scrubbing at the back of his neck with his sponge. He knows ignoring Lance until he goes away won't work, but he's willing to try anyways.

"No it's not," Lance says, left hand tensing on Keith's hip.

Keith looks back at Lance, surprised to hear his voice sound serious. "It's just a small cut," Keith says. Lance really is making too big a deal out of this. It doesn't even hurt that badly.

"Will you just let me help you?" Lance sounds frustrated. "You don't always have to do everything by yourself, you know."

Keith glares at Lance for a few more seconds then turns his head back towards the sink, exhaling through his nose in resignation. Stupid Lance and his stupid nurturing instincts. Much as he doesn't want to admit it, he's not entirely averse to the idea of Lance helping him out with this. He straightens his back and rests his hands on the lip of the sink. "Fine," he grumbles.

Lance gets his sponge soapy and begins to clean the cut, his left hand curling over Keith's hip to keep him still while his right carefully works to remove the dirt and pus. Keith winces in pain but suppresses his reflex to pull away and lets Lance take care of him.

"andddddddd- done!" Lance says.

"Great, now-" Keith stops mid sentence as Lance starts scrubbing at his back again.

"Why are you still touching me?"

"I'm washing your back."

Keith huffs in annoyance. "Well are you almost done? I need to wash my hair."

"Just wash it, Mullet-head," Lance says.

Keith sighs in annoyance at the nickname and gets his hands soapy before running them through his hair. He ducks his head under the faucet to rinse it out. It's dirtier than he'd realized and his fingers work to undo the knots until Lance swats his hands away and does it for him.

"What is it with you and invading my personal space?" Keith asks in annoyance. It's like Lance is determined to cross as many of Keith's boundaries as he can and Keith hates that he likes having Lance's body so close to his.

"Oh, hush," Lance says. "You know you love it."

Keith sighs. He does know that. And it pisses him off. Lance's fingers running through his hair should not feel this good. He closes his eyes and gives in, letting himself relax into it.

Keith's head slumps after a few seconds with Lance's fingers still in his hair. He pulls his hand away and Keith's head lolls back. 

Lance's jaw drops. "Are you _asleep_?!" Keith starts to tip forward towards the sink and Lance catches him before his face can smash into the the mirror, easing him down to the floor. " _Holy shit_ ," Lance breathes. He thinks back to the last few days. Has Keith slept at all besides that short nap when they first got here? Lance doesn't remember ever seeing him rest.

Lance clucks his tongue. He needs to start making sure Keith sleeps. This is ridiculous. Keith just fell asleep _standing up_. Lance reaches up to the sink for the sponge and wipes it over Keith's back to get rid of any remaining soap. He then works his fingers through Keith's hair again to finish getting the knots out. Keith jolts awake halfway through and his arm flails out, catching Lance in the stomach before he can jump away.

"Shit," Keith mumbles as Lance lets out a pained noise, looking at Lance with wide eyes. It was a reflex, but he still feels shitty about punching someone who was just trying to help him. "Sorry, I didn't-"

"It's okay," Lance says, pulling away and starting to get dressed. He smiles but it's unconvincing. That had actually hurt. A lot. He'll definitely have a nasty bruise by tomorrow morning. _Keith could easily overpower me and I'd let him_ , his brain supplies rather unhelpfully.

Keith stands shakily and sticks his head in the sink, running water through it to get the rest of the soap out. He wrings it out to get it as dry as he can manage without a towel and when he turns back towards Lance the other boy is holding his clothes out to him.

"Thanks," he says, accepting the clothes and beginning to pull them on. He grimaces and makes a displeased noise as the filthy fabric touches his freshly cleaned skin.

"Yeah," Lance agrees. "We need to get some new clothes. Probably should've done that before we washed up."

"You think?" Keith deadpans.

Lance laughs at Keith's moodiness and slings an arm around his shoulders, guiding him towards the door. Keith scowls but he doesn't actually mind the contact.

"Come on, I bet a doctor or a patient or someone left some clothes somewhere in this hospital. Let's go find them."

Keith sighs but goes along without protest. At least they're both fully dressed again and there's the possibility of changing into clean clothes in the near future. That's about as good as it's going to get right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of y'all wanna die of laughter u should go check these out they're fucking BRILLIANT http://ironinkpen.tumblr.com/tagged/voltron+headcanons


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